This invention relates to quick change attachment devices for accessories or work implements on skid steer vehicles and in particular to an add on adapter for converting an attachment coupler from hand operated latching and unlatching to power operated latching and unlatching.
In the past various quick attachment devices have been developed for skid steer loaders. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,732,996 and 3,672,521 show quick attachment devices that are carried on the front of a loader arm and are used for quickly attaching and detaching various accessories, such as different types of buckets or grapples. These quick attachment devices have been utilized extensively by Melroe Company, a Business Unit of Clark Equipment Company and sold under the trade name BOBTACH.
Power operated, quick attachment devices have been also advanced in the past, such as the device shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,269,570. Also a power operated device for backhoes is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,610.
A skid steer loader adapter for an implement mounting plate is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,098,252 and uses a spring biased mechanism that is biased toward a retracted or released position. An over center wedging mechanism engages hook members to overcome a spring force and the locking mechanism is forced into engagement with the implement being mounted. U.S. Pat. No. 5,62,397 shows a way of adapting the BOBTACH system to power operation by attaching a power actuator between an existing pair of hand levers which move a respective pair of latch pins or wedge members to a retracted or an extended position. The power actuator is retracted or extended between the hand levers to move them into position to retract or extend the latch pins.
The present invention makes it possible to instantly convert a hand operated coupler to a power operated coupler by attaching a converter assembly containing hydraulic actuators to the front surface of the existing coupler and connecting hydraulic lines from the vehicle to connection nipples on the converter assembly. By operating on/off valves in the operators cab, hydraulic latch pins in the converter can be extended or retracted hydraulically rather than manually when the vehicle attachment such as a bucket or the like is being connected to or disconnected from the coupler of the vehicle.
The invention is an attachable adapter for converting an attachment coupler on skid steer vehicles from hand operated latching and unlatching to power operated latching and unlatching for attaching and detaching a work implement for use by the vehicle, the adapter comprising: a substantially rectangular box shaped housing having, a front wall, a back wall, interconnecting means extending transversely between the front and back wall and holding said walls in spaced apart relationship to define an interior compartment within the housing, attachment means on the back wall for fastening the housing to an attachment coupler on a skid steer vehicle, a forwardly extending member on the front wall positioned to engage a rearwardly extending member on a work implement to be used by the skid steer vehicle, a pair of longitudinally moveable latch pins mounted within the housing, the latch pins being moveable between a retracted position within the housing and an extended position in which part of each latch pin extends outside the housing for a predetermined distance, power actuator means within the housing operatively attached to the latch pins to move them between the retracted and the extended positions, the latch pins being mounted at such a location with respect to the housing that when in the extended position they will engage appropriately positioned apertures on a rearwardly extending member on the work implement to be attached to the power adapter.